Product Review

Dover Sport Boot

When I am feeling to lazy to wrap Whin's legs I use the Dover Sport Boot.

Whin gives it Three Hooves up!

This Boot looks nice comes in black with white lining or white on white. This boot is also affordable. I have never used other brands of fleece lined boots but this is the most affordable one that I have been able to find. It also protects the leg well from knocks that might happen while riding.  I have found it to keep the leg cooler than polo wraps which is nice during the summer. The white cleans up better than I feared it would.  It doesn't stay looking new for ever but it cleans up well.

The only draw back is durability. I would not call it a rip off, it holds up reasonably but now that I have had a pair for about a year they are starting to look old.  The elastic is starting to wear out and the plastic on the out side is cracked.  I have ridden in them regularly for a year but my last pair of cheap neoprene boots lasted about 5 years.

Over all good for the price, and looks very nice!

All King Edwards Horses Can Make Big Fences

Lost in Translation

I am not particularly new to dressage, I have been puttering around showing the lower levels for some time. however there are still terms that I have been translating incorrectly. Most recently Thrust, all of the judges kept commenting in the rider marks that we need more thrust.

What is thrust? In  Dreamworks "Chicken Run" they needed more thrust to launch themselves high in the air, in an attempt to fly (I can safely rule that definition out). However I was thinking along the lines of  this.

I kept pondering how an earth I was going to get Whin more forward, faster. Every judge seemed to think that needed to happen. They can't all be wrong? 

I mentioned this to my Trainer in my last lesson, she informed me that I didn't need to go faster or more forward but I needed more of this.

(I know, I know, we all need more of that) Meaning I needed to get Whin to bring her poll a little higher and spring more.  Not go faster. So maybe the "Chicken Run" thing was not so far off.

While its a relief to not have to go faster, we have some work to do, to gain this elusive Thrust!

All King Edwards Horses Call Me Blessed Fool

Light Bulb

 

I had a great ride today, there were some workers building a shed and other horses in the Arena so Whin was nice and forward. She was ohh so very light in the bridle, sitting on her haunches (well at least as much as we do in our showing first level schooling second sort of way), prompt off the leg. Basicly a dream horse to ride.

 

In last weeks lesson I learned that trying to twist my body into a pretzel during renvers, and haunches in is counter productive.  When I sit up striaght Whin can do nice almost forward going lateral work. It was an epifany.

 

Mabey one day I will figure out how to get out of Whin's way and then we will have nice rides all the time.

 

All King Edward's Horses Can't Make Big Fences

Happy 4th

My lesson was today, It was good, I have an awesome instructor.  But I thought I would be all cleaver and get Whin going forward by hacking her out on the trail before my lesson.

Fail. She walked at a funeral pace the whole time, and then I didn't have enough time to get her going off my leg before my lesson. Ohh well now I know what not to do.

Other than being behind my leg (and therefore a little more on the forehand than is to be desired) Whin was very good.  We worked on some new things today which is always exciting, we started Renvers and played around with a little half pass.  We have a long way to go but it was fun to introduce new movements.

Just last week in my lesson the shoulder in clicked, we had a light bulb moment and the shoulder in became easy, I am still waiting for that to happen with the Haunches in once I get her bent enough the forward shuts down, I just have to figure out what I am doing to get in the way the haunches in.

Our canter walk transitions are coming along going to the right we get a trot step sometimes, going to the left we stop so fast it would make a reining horse jealous (ok not really).

Happy Independence day

All Fat Bay Mares Can Hardly Ever Kick